Notre Dame's Kelly: All Irish players 'at-risk' academically

Notre Dame's Kelly: All Irish players 'at-risk' academically

Notre Dame coach  Brian Kelly , after a year of turmoil for his players in the classroom, said the entire team is "at-risk" academically.

Kelly questioned how many players would be admitted into the school "by themselves," adding the university will do its best going forward to provide the resources necessary for players to succeed in the classroom.

"I think we recognized that all of my  football  players are at-risk -- all of them -- really," Kelly told the South Bend Tribune  on Thursday. "Honestly, I don't know that any of our players would get into the school by themselves right now with the academic standards the way they are. Maybe one or two of our players that are on scholarship.

"So making sure that with the  rigors  that we put them in -- playing on the road, playing night games, getting home at 4 o'clock in the morning, all of the demands that we place on them relative to the academics and going into an incredibly competitive academic classroom every day -- we recognize this is a different group. And we have to provide all the resources necessary for them to succeed and don't force them into finding shortcuts."

Notre Dame suspended five players -- KeiVarae Russell, DaVaris Daniels, Eilar Hardy, Kendall Moore and  Ishaq Williams  -- last season amid an investigation into academic fraud at the university.

Former Notre Dame quarterback  Everett Golson  served an academic suspension for the entire 2013 season. Golson has since transferred to Florida State for his senior season.